In this episode of BookCraft, I'm joined by debut author Zack Slingsby for a conversation about writing, publishing, and building a creative career in today's ever-changing media landscape.

Zack shares his journey from creating digital content to writing and publishing his upcoming crime drama novel, The Ballad of the Gangster's Daughter (Post Hill Press / Simon & Schuster, July 28, 2026). We talk about finding the right genre, developing memorable characters, and bringing your writing into the world.

We also dive into the realities of book marketing, reaching readers in a crowded marketplace, and how the rise of digital media and audiobooks is changing the publishing industry. Zack has unique insights into the creative process, the lessons he's learning along the way, and what it's like preparing to launch a debut novel, all while balancing the work of his King Jester digital comedy platform.

This was a fantastic episode to record and Zack’s perspective on why readers love to not only read books but make the choice to buy them is a refreshing take, especially with the competition in the online book spaces to stand out and create fans for your work.

Find Zack and his work online at:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zackslingsby/

Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/56mst49f

His comedic company is King Jester:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kingjesterofficial/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kingjesterofficial

Human Factor Media - https://humanfactormedia.com

If you are in Nashville, he’ll be doing an event at Parnassus Books!

Parnassus Books - https://parnassusbooks.net

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to Creativity and Comedy

03:03 The Journey of Writing and MFA Experience